Why did Franz Kafka and Felice Bauer end their engagements?

Franz Kafka’s engagements to Felice Bauer were primarily hindered by his complex, ambivalent personality and the intense pressures of his lifestyle. While they were engaged twice—first in 1914 and again in 1917—both relationships ultimately ended in rupture.12

The primary factors contributing to these failed engagements included:

• Inhibition and Personality: Kafka’s deeper personal relationships were described as neurotically disturbed, with his complex and ambivalent personality creating significant internal conflict.1
• The Double Life: Kafka struggled to balance his demanding career at the Workers’ Accident Insurance Institute with his urgent need to write, which often consumed his nights. His correspondence reveals a man who felt unable or unwilling to sacrifice the time required for his writing to sustain a conventional relationship.12
• Health Struggles: His poor health, which culminated in a diagnosis of tuberculosis in 1917, further complicated his ability to maintain personal commitments.12

Ultimately, these factors led to a final separation at the end of 1917, as Kafka remained caught between his creative isolation and his desire for intimacy.12